Breaking news for everyone's consumption

Louisiana

A bill to allow the sales of raw milk by a farmer to a consumer, which passed the Louisiana Senate on a 23-to-12 vote, has died in a House committee. The Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture and Rural Development killed the bill on a 8-7 vote. It is the third consecutive legislative session that lawmakers… Continue Reading

Office building owners on Poydras Street in New Orleans are worried about losing tenants and lease payments over Louisiana’s worst state budget crisis in 30 years. Like nearby Mississippi, where some state restaurant inspectors have already lost their offices and are working from their personal cars and homes, state government in Louisiana is way short… Continue Reading

When an exclusive private school suddenly extends its Easter break, it might be a good time to check with social media to see if, in fact, an outbreak of foodborne illness has occurred. That appears to be what has happened with Louisiana’s Silliman Institute, where the original schedule for the term shows Easter break not… Continue Reading

State legislatures remain in session from Alabama to Wyoming, with food safety mostly getting only a light touch from lawmakers who seem largely focused on budgets and education in this non-election year. In Alabama, where a new cottage food bill took effect last June 1, Extension services are getting more money for training people to… Continue Reading

A House-passed bill to permit the sale or distribution of raw milk by the farmer directly to a consumer is dead in the Louisiana Senate. The lower chamber of the Louisiana Legislature easily approved House Bill 1279 on May 7 in a 78-19 vote. The favorable House floor vote came after the raw milk bill… Continue Reading

Debate on a Louisiana bill to allow on-the-farm raw milk sales by dairy farmers directly to consumers took a strange twist down the “what if” road last week. Under the bill, consumers would replace state inspectors for making sure the raw milk is safe for human consumption. That provision led to an eye-opening exchange between… Continue Reading

Two Democratic state lawmakers representing mostly rural parishes are getting a legislative hearing today on a raw milk bill. If that does not sound like much, consider that Baton Rouge political watchers say it’s been more than a decade since raw milk has come up for discussion in the Louisiana Legislature. The Committee on Agriculture,… Continue Reading

A left-right libertarian coalition led by U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) is sponsoring two bills in Congress to permit the interstate sales of raw milk. Massie says the bills are but the first in a series of “food freedom” measures he plans to introduce. One would overturn the interstate ban on raw milk, while the… Continue Reading

A new report published by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor questions whether inspection of restaurants and other retail food establishments are doing enough to prevent foodborne illness in the Bayou State. With its $9.5 billion tourist industry mostly built around food and music, the safety of Louisiana restaurant food is a subject of interest far beyond… Continue Reading

Lao Chareune Foods in Dallas, Texas is recalling approximately 8,200 pounds of beef and pork products because they were produced without the benefit of federal inspection and misbranded, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Monday. The company is recalling: -3-oz. and 8-oz. packages containing “Pork Snack Stick” -3.20-oz. packages containing… Continue Reading